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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0016.PDF
Wf] JANUARY 14, 1926 The extensive use of Junkers aircraft in various parts of the world is evidence of the effectiveness of this propaganda, of which, of course, the supplement is but one small item, but one which is rather illuminating. • * * During the recent discussion on the Purchasing prench aeronautical budget a question Aircraft was raised which had already been discussed in private for a considerable time. It relates to the suggested purchase by the French Government of foreign aeroplanes. Two members of the French parliament, MM. Henry Pate and Coiihe, have made themselves spokesmen for the movement which maintains that it is to the interest of French aviation generally to know exactly the capabilities of foreign aircraft, and that the only way to rind these out definitely is to purchase foreign machines and test them under the same conditions as French machines. By such tests the Service Technique would, it is claimed, be able to verify the accuracy of the performances claimed for the foreign machines, the information being made available to French aircraft constructors. Our excellent French contemporary Les Ailes, while agreeing with the necessity of knowing exactly what foreign machines are capable of, foresees diffi- culties, and suggests that a better way might be to admit foreign aeroplanes to French competitions. It expresses the belief that foreign aircraft constructors might, if they knew for what purpose their machine was required, very well refuse to sell, as there would be no likelihood of further orders, and in that case the otherwise excellent suggestions made by MM. Pate and Couhe would fall to the ground. Les Ailes states that it knows of French aircraft constructors who refused to sell three aeroplanes of the avion de chasse type to an allied government, knowing that two of them would be used for flight tests and the third would be taken to pieces for detail examination. Our contemporary thinks that in all probability a similar attitude might be taken by foreign aircraft constructors asked to sell machines to the French government. Les Ailes believes that a solution of the problem is not impossible, and that the subject should be seriously studied. In the meantime, it suggests that a good beginning might be made by France renouncing her present policy of keeping her aviation competitions exclusively national, and instead inviting foreign constructors to take part in them. It points out that there is no valid reason why, in like manner to the Paris Salons, a commercial aircraft competition, a seaplane competition or a competition for touring machines, should not be international. Foreign constructors would find it to their own interests to participate and to get the utmost from their machines. The interests of the French aviation world would be served by challenging comparison and benefiting from the results. The problem outlined above is not, of course, peculiar to France, but is equally applicable to Great Britain, and if one were to substitute, in the above, Great Britain for France, exactly the same case can be made out. We in this country have for some time been purchasing " samples " of foreign aircraft, but the practical difficulties are exactly as outlined by our French contemporary. We do not propose to offer a solution, but the problem is one which 16 requires study and very careful and diplomatic handling. «• «• -e- More ^ie axe " is a little-heard of imple- " Economy" Ilient these days, but the cry for " economy " is, like the poor, always with us. The latest subject upon which the economists are exercising their ingenuity is that of airship operation. At Pulham and at Cardington men are being dismissed " indefinitely," the proposed reconditioning of R.36 for the purpose of fitting out this airship for a flight to Egypt has been abandoned, and the flying tests, for which R.33 had been pre- pared, to be carried out in order to compile data urgently required in the design of the new large airships, are to be discontinued. We doubt if the world has ever seen a sorrier spectacle than that of Great Britain playing with airship policies. First we will and then we won't. First the Admiralty refuses to have anything to do with airships, then it is suddenly seized with a violent craving for air- ships. First the Air Ministry turns down airships as being too costly ; then when the Admiralty shows signs of awakening interest, the Air Ministry dis- covers that it can manage an airship policy. Then we go off the deep end and " talk big " about 5,000,000 cubic ft. airships. Then our airship authorities say that the building of such large airships will require first a certain amount of full-scale experi- menting. The work is taken in hand and a start is made. Another change of mind, and airship flying is once more closed down. Really it is difficult to know whether to laugh or cry. Although it is stated that the work on the large 5,000,000 cubic ft. R.101 is to continue, it must be realised that actual flying with existing airships is essential, not only in order to accumulate data, but also for the training of crews. Perhaps, after all, Commander Boothby's suggested light airship club may provide the means of a continuance of airship flying, even if under a somewhat different form, especially as his scheme does not involve any but a very modest expenditure. Otherwise, after all the vacillation shown during the last few years, one is almost tempted to suggest handing the whole of the airship work over to the Navy. We are very glad that the suggestion,The Next d t tj meeting of the F.A.I.Schneider •-,-,. ., ., j\, , , ., Cup Race in Pans recently, that the rules lor the next Schneider Cup Race be altered to stipulate that the machines must carry, in addition to the weight of the pilot and the fuel necessary for the race, a certain useful load, was turned down. As we have repeatedly stated, we do nut agree with the view that pure speed races are of no value and tend only to produce " freaks." But for such races we should never have evolved machines capable of the speeds now being attained, and as the Schneider race is almost the only international event for pure speed machines, it would, in our opinion, have been a mistake to alter the rules so as to call for larger, heavier, and therefore slower machines. That the rules were not changed is, of course, chiefly due to the firm stand taken by Great Britain's representa- tives at the meeting of the F.A.I., and we believe that ultimately they will be thanked for this attitude, even by those who now desire to make a change.
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